Boas-Red Tail - Skin wrinkly & humidity issues

Your Reptile and Amphibian Resource and Information Site

Back to Boas-Red Tail Forum Forums Home Members Area

Boas-Red Tail Forum

Butrflykris Lilchangstaa47 Pythonfreek Razeraze Pythonfreek Butrflykris Butrflykris Butrflykris Butrflykris Butrflykris Butrflykris

Member

Message

#821215

Butrflykris
View Profile

Skin wrinkly & humidity issues

My 3 month old Red-Tail Boa Carnelian has just gone through her first shed with us. She had a difficult time and we are still having some trouble. She was shedding in pieces, eye caps wouldn’t come off, etc. We got her to shed properly, but the problem seems to be the humidity, which we are getting under control (I think). I have a glass tank with the generic setup - Screen top, light at one end, hide box at the other. I have to spray the cage at least several times a day to keep the humidity up and I’ve covered the screen top with aluminum foil (ghetto I know) to keep the humidity in. I even had to rub vitamin E on her body and eyes to finally get her to shed in one piece. I have 3 questions:

1 - What should the humidity be at - generally speaking?

2 - Any suggestions on keeping humidity up consistently that won’t be as time consuming as spraying the cage?

3 - Carnelian has a very wrinkled tail and she has finished shedding. Is this just her skin she is going to be growing into until the next shed and is that normal?

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks - Kris

06/05/06 11:31pm

#821230

Lilchangstaa47
View Profile

Message To: Butrflykris In reference to Message Id: 821215

Skin wrinkly & humidity issues

1. humidity should be around 55-65% at all times... maybe a little higher when in shed

2. yes, order a cage online made out of plastic (boaphileplastics.com
animalplastics.com lllreptile.com) they keep humidity AND heat in very well... animal plastics is also not that expensive

3. i need a picture to tell.. it can be anything so far

i hope i answered your questions plz post a pic of your boa and other more experienced owners might help you

but for now, keep that foil on and put a LARGE water bowl in the cage... not so large its half the size of the enclosure but enough so that it keeps up the humidity and also dont pour so much water in it it would be deeper than your boa. what are you keeping as a substrate? if your having humidity problems.. i wouldnt go with loose substrate like bark or anything i would jus tput in reg. white paper towels in... i use this for my yellow conda and its great. when you spray it with warm water its highly absorbant and bumps up the humidity... but make sure you dont make the newspaper wet... just moist.. if you do, it might give your snake scale rot and other probs.. like RI if the hudimty gets too high

06/05/06 11:39pm

#821289

Pythonfreek
View Profile

Message To: Lilchangstaa47 In reference to Message Id: 821230

Skin wrinkly & humidity issues

OK, here’s a great way to boost the humidity during shed, I use it for my RTB cause she’s in a glas tank. My ball pythond dont need it for they are in a rubbermaid, but the glass tanks are a little harder.but by using this trick I’ve gotten perfect sheds for years.
Take a bowl about the same size as her water bowl. fill it with very hot water. place a folded up towel over the top and make sure u fold it under the bottom so your snake doesn’t just push the towel off of the bowl and get burned. leave it in there for a bit and the cage will steam up with a lot of humidity. after the cage steams up, wait for like 15 minutes, then take the bowl out, and put saran wrap over the top(leaving a small space for air.) and when she is done shedding you can take off the saran wrap. you can do it multiple times during the shed process if needed. Hope this helps. And I’e done this for years, and never hd a problem with my snake being burned.
-Dale

06/06/06 12:44am

#821673

Razeraze
View Profile

Message To: Butrflykris In reference to Message Id: 821215

Skin wrinkly & humidity issues

a large water bowl and pondliner does the trick. ours stays at a constant 55-65% with no misting ever. she soaks a bit right before a shed. never had any problems.

06/06/06 12:18pm

#822018

Pythonfreek
View Profile

Message To: Razeraze In reference to Message Id: 821673

Skin wrinkly & humidity issues

Butrfly are u gonna try any of these? keep us posted on how your baby does.
-Dale

06/06/06 04:34pm

#848494

Butrflykris
View Profile

Message To: Pythonfreek In reference to Message Id: 822018

Skin wrinkly & humidity issues

Yes I definitely will! Thanks to everyone for the feedback! Sorry I didn’t respond sooner. I totally forgot I had posted this because the wrinkliness went away and she shed a bit more recently!

Seems like lots of good advice! I’ll let you know how she does next time she sheds. And we’re definitely getting a cage from animalplastics soon!

I’ll keep you posted. And I’ll post pictures when my host site comes back up!

06/23/06 11:34pm